Daylight
by Hyperficial
Summary: After John comes home from Star City, he is met by the demon itself, Nergal. The wretched creature warned him of his plan to destroy him, and that he's coming for him. When he tells Zed, she does not take it well, and it soon leads their conversation elsewhere.


Daylight

* * *

 **Hello, reader of Hellblazer! My name is Hype, and I am an Arrowverse fanfiction writer. I am a big Arrowverse fan, making me know what Constantine is. Anyways, onto the more pressing matter, this is a John/Zed fanfic that takes place after John's trip to Star City in the Arrow episode "Haunted." Enjoy!**

* * *

A man was walking through the woods, located a couple miles out of Liverpool, England. He was smoking a Marlboro cigarette in the dark night and forbidding woodland. It was none other the world's best and finest petty dabbler of the dark arts, and not to mention, the greatest demonologist you could find on Heaven, Hell, and Earth, John Constantine.

Just a few hours ago, he was at Star City, helping the bravest archer himself, Oliver Queen. He was knackered by all the hardiness he put into the situation that Oliver had, but now thought of the bright side of resting at the motel after picking some stuff at the mill house of his late colleague, Jasper Winters.

It was a cold and dark night, with people already fast asleep because of how late it was. The stars were the only lights that guided him on his way back to the occult, besides his burning cigarette. He didn't want to walk in a fast pace because of the tiredness he was feeling. All he was thinking about was one of his closest friends, Zed Martin. Whilst trying to avoid the thought of her soon to be lover, Jim Corrigan.

What Manny said months ago was true, he was jealous, and he didn't know what to do about it. It was very seldom for him to think about his friendship with that witty girl. She proved herself as a liable member to the team, but also as the one that his heart screams for—which is unusual for John, since he was the kind of guy who prefers to be alone for the rest of his life. Not just that, but it was very strange if a girl would gain strong feelings for him. With that being said, he continued being heartbroken, knowing that Zed will never be his and will never like him the same way he does for her.

While he was strolling and smoking through the woods, he felt the ground shake. At first, he assumed that it was just an earthquake, but soon after, it didn't feel like one. He dropped his cigarette and ran as fast as he could back to the safe house. During his continuance of fast travel to the mill house, he tripped because of some dark spirit coming from the ground. The whole of the dark spirit started to rise up from the Earth's crust, whilst leaving flares and smoke of the color blue.

John knitted his eyebrows, when he looked up from the ground, "Nergal," the british man guessed as the demon fully came into contact.

"Why, you do remember me, John Constantine," the demon screeched out his name.

John smirked with his conceit, "Of course, how could I forget you? You're the one who damned that innocent Astra Logue to hell, and you're the reason why these awful demons are manifesting on Earth," he got up from the dirt and continued with an angry look. "Plus the fact that you're the one who I've been hunting this past year or so."

Nergal, being pleased of what he has done to the girl that he took away from John, chuckled and stated, "I've seen the future, John."

"Oh, really?" the exorcist raised his eyebrows, not believing in what he was saying. He could cast demons away, summon them, but he never taught demons the skill to give the ability of seeing the changeable future.

"Indeed, do you want to know what I saw?" the blue-eyed spirit asked. "I saw your fall and defeat."

"How did I die then?" John questioned, pretending that he wasn't afraid of what Nergal was about to say.

"Doesn't matter, because your death will be inevitable for you to escape," he replied.

"Cut to the chase, damn it. What do you wanna say?" Nergal grabbed him by the neck and started to choke him, making Constantine grasp for air.

"I am here to tell you to stop fighting these wild demons."

"Why?" the man being choked hardly asked.

"Your dear Astra wanted me to warn you, since she was afraid that you will die soon, because of my actions."

Still in need of breath in-take, he barely said, "Never."

"Your choice, Constantine. I'm just doing what the girl wanted me to do, but I have to say, that's coming from me too," Nergal said. "You're death is coming soon, so you should stop doing this, or else you'll literally end up in hell."

"Well . . . at least . . . you're going . . . to . . . die in eternity . . . with me," John shot back, with pauses in between his sentences.

Nergal let out a laugh as he heard the human in pain, "See you some time soon in hell, Constantine."

From there, the malevolent spirit threw a demonic punch and made him trip, then left him with miserable pain. John obtained a bruise right in the belly and found it hard to run and walk because of how much discomfort his right leg was in, after falling on the solid ground. And so, he tried his best in limping to get to the mill house.

He was in grief and in misery while he was walking to the mill house. He couldn't stop the feeling of being frightened because of the fact that he will die soon. He felt darkness conquer his not so stone-cold heart and also felt sorrow filling it.

It took three minutes for him to get to his destination. When he did, he noticed that Chas' vehicle wasn't there. So he expected no one to be in the hideout at this time of the day. He got his keys and unlocked the door, when he did, he heard a sound. It sounded like a person was in deep mental suffering.

Only one name came into John's mind, _Zed_. John limped his way towards her. It was not long until he found Zed spazzing out on the floor. He guessed the reason why was because of her brain tumor. Constantine took the matter into his own arms and carried her to the couch, bridal style. After setting her on the couch, John took of his trench coat and performed a spell on her. The spell made the spazzing stop and let her fall asleep in peace.

After doing that, John sat down on a comfy chair that was near to the couch. He rested his hurt and tired body whilst sitting down. Then after a few thoughts about his horrible upcoming death, it lead into thinking about Zed the whole time she was asleep. He started to think about all the things that he was going to leave behind when he dies, and he basically thought about her.

John was just a mid-thirties man with a lot of knowledge about spells, rituals, and curses. Whilst Zed was a smart late-twenties woman with psychic abilities. So the only thing they had in common was being able to use magic. The only difference, however, is that they come from different worlds. He was a chthonian, and she was more like an angel. She was an angel that he was in love with, but one he knows that heaven has forbid for him. His love for her was strong, like he would go to hell to save her. That's how crazy he was, or how weak. Or maybe he's just blinded by what he sees. What really hurts most, though, is the feeling of her wanting a soldier, but it wasn't—and never will be—him. And that is why he easily gave up on fighting for her, because again, he will never be the one that she has a strong passion for.

Although he does have to admit that she has always caught the best of him, the real hero in him. She could always get him to be so crazy, even more than crazy; insane. She can drive him insane at times, regardless if it was because she was stubborn, she was in decline of doing something, or just because of they way on how he loves her.

After a few minutes of sleeping, Zed awoke. She didn't wake up frantically, which was not normal for her. Usually, she would find herself waking up from seizures in a sudden pace. She looked at her side, and was not surprised to see John Constantine thinking in a serious manner with his hand on his chin.

 _"Cute,"_ she described him at that moment in her mind. She had always thought of John as a guy that has a strong taste in arrogance. He can be cute at times though, rather than arrogant. For certain, Jim didn't have all the traits that she wanted in a man, neither did John. But hey, love comes in all shaped and sizes, right? John was a man that she had feelings for, ever since she started to get dreams about him. There was just something so interesting about him that had always made her heart flicker for. Jim is nothing, compared to John.

She shook her head, trying to shake off the dizzy spell. "John?"

John turned his head at her and said, "Ah, you're awake now. That's good."

"Not as good as my getting myself into a seizure again," she responded as she sat up.

John queried her, getting into a slouching position, "You alright now, love?"

Zed tittered. She really can't ever get over him, calling her "love". It just sounded so awkward. Because for a fact, he doesn't know about it her feelings for him. She replied to his question, "Hell no, can't even try to stand up."

"Well," the mage stood up and moaned because of the leftover pain in his leg, "get some rest. You're gonna need it."

Zed noticed on the way he took his steps as he went by the lower portion of the couch. She could tell by his voice that he was in pain. She asked him with eyebrows knitted, "You okay? It seems like you also got beat up."

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just . . . " John trailed off his sentence.

"Just what?" the dreamer asked as she tilted her head. "John, what happened?"

Hesitant to get it out, John lied, "Oh, it's nothing. Nothing impotant, nor significant."

"Spill, Constantine," she smirked, knowing that she'll get the truth.

He let out a sigh, with the knowledge that she was so much smarter than that, "You remember Nergal, right? The demon that I've been telling you about?"

She nodded and asked to be sure, "The one who damned Astra's soul and is one of the causes of all that's happening?"

"Yeah, well . . . he paid me a visit," he explained further. "He warned me that my death is near, saying that it will be inevitable. He described how gruesome my death is. Not to mention, also leaving a nasty bruise on my stomach and my right leg in torment."

"Well, are you okay now?"

John sarcastically went, "Of course! I'm just waiting for this pain to wear out and the death that I just got warned about."

After the sarcasm spilled out, the room went quiet for not too long. Zed started to hear her own heartbreak. She was dumbstruck in what he just said. She didn't want him to die. A few months ago, she just started her growth of feelings for John Constantine. She didn't want to assume it was, but that's what it was; unexplainable feelings.

"Look, I'm sorry if I yelled at you. I—"

She cut him off and assured him, "We're not going to let you die. I'm not going to let you die."

"What did I just say, Zed? I'm gonna be dead in a few months time."

"I don't care about what you say! Me, Chas, and all the others are going to look out for you. We are not going to let this happen, John," she exclaimed. "I know who you are in your bones, John. And that person does not surrender that easily."

"Geez! Come down will ya? What's so important about me anyway? If I die, what changes? Just a world without that master of the dark arts, John Constantine," dramatically, he queried.

She reached her hand out to his as she sat beside him, and answered, "John, I know you too well. With or without these powers, I know what's on your mind," Zed claimed. "You're thinking that your actions, and yourself, ruin the lives of everyone that you come into contact with. You think that whoever it is, and no matter how much you love them, their life turns to ash," she said all the right things. "Now let me tell you something; my opinion. I think that it's really farcical, everyone's lives touch everyone else's. Sometimes the outcome may be better or for worse, maybe you're only focusing on what's not good, and not what isn't," the clever woman discoursed.

John was silent. he didn't know what to say. He felt stupid for not thinking of these kind of things before. Was it because he was too blind to see it? Or that he was just really focusing on the bad? The space and entire mill house became utterly silent once more. Zed, on the other hand, still felt the somehow and somewhat fear rising at the back of her throat. She has never been this scared of losing someone in her life. The feeling was if she couldn't lose cards. She was breaking inside.

Zed never brought the thought of loving him to her mind, because she was anxious to say it. She was also scared if her death would by lying on his hands. But now, she realizes one thing with certainty—she would be willing to die if it was for him.

"John, I don't want to lose you," a tear dropped. "When I met you, it was very strong and sudden for me. You were like a missing piece to the puzzle to my life."

"You have a desire for me," John simpered. "I don't want to lose you either. I like you too, don't worry," he confessed. "I just hope that there was someplace to go to where I could try this with you, where all of this is just not happening between us right now an—"

John was cut off by a hug. Zed started to cry on his shoulders. She wept, "Please don't leave me."

With that, John accepted the hug. He even kissed her forehead, to guarantee that he doesn't want to leave her as well. John has never felt like this in a long time. He hasn't felt this attached to anyone at all. He never wanted to become fond of falling in love because he knows that one day soon, that person will die. Everyone around him would always have their life worsened. But now, he has to accept and learn the fact that he should become happy with someone.

"I cannot promise that to you, Zed. Although, all I know is that because of you, everything changed for me. My whole life changed when I met you. You were something that my life was dependent on. Not just because about fighting all these nasty creatures from hell, but because you were something that my life wanted to be with," John avowed to her. "I have to learn not to always be alone. It's the matter of time that I need to learn that two is better than one, and I can't do that without you."

"Is the all so magical John Constantine asking a lady to help him live a life?" she wiped off the tears that was streaming down her face.

John snickered, "And is the all so remarkable Zed Martin saying that John Constantine has never lived a life?"

"Hell yeah, she is."

While they were happily joking around, the two of them just comforted themselves in each other's arms and whispered themselves to a nap. And after that hour, as the daylight goes by every day and night, John felt more less worried and safer with his life. And for once in the sorcerer's life, he was able to find peace—well, close to peace. Since he knows that there are still monstrous devils out there to hunt down. But nonetheless, he always remembered one thing everyday, and that washe has a friend that he could count on to be his safe haven.


End file.
